


A Future in the Past

by Emma_The_Savior_Swan



Category: Bones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-24
Updated: 2012-08-23
Packaged: 2017-11-12 18:33:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/494351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emma_The_Savior_Swan/pseuds/Emma_The_Savior_Swan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Temperance has a mysterious past, could somebody all of the squints know be involved in it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A 16-year-old Temperance Brennan sped around a typical suburban cul-de-sac on a pair of roller blades. It was mid-August, and the weather was fair. On the driveway of her foster home, her 14-year-old foster sister stood, watching curiously. Temperance didn't know how long she had been going around in circles, but it must have been a long time, because her foster sister ran from the driveway, and stopped directly in her path, forcing her to halt. "You do know you've been doing this for almost an hour- don't you?" Her foster sister, Elisabeth, asked.

Annoyed because she had been torn from her relaxing rhythm, Temperance decided not to admit that she had lost all track of time, and instead said curtly, "Yes, of course I do."

"You don't always have to mope around like this you know. You can talk to me; I get lonely just sitting there." Elisabeth explained.

"I didn't mean to make you lonely." Temperance said.

"I know, but I just didn't want you to think that nobody wanted to talk to you. You've been here almost two weeks and nobody knows anything about you." Temperance knew that Elisabeth spoke the truth, but after going through five foster homes during her first year in the system, Temperance, with her quick mind, had easily picked up on the fact that it was simpler to not make connections with anybody. She kept conversations light and information about herself private.

"What's there to know that you don't already? My name is Temperance Brennan, I'm 16 years old, and I am currently in the foster care system." She sounded as though she were giving a report to the police. Easy identification, no personalization required.

"I know all of that. I want to know more about you, not about your situation." Elisabeth pried. What Elisabeth didn't know, was that, when you're a foster child, there's nothing to tell about but your situation. Elisabeth was the biological daughter of Susan and Thomas Jorgensen, Temperance's foster parents. Having all that they wanted, Susan and Thomas wanted to help other people. They loved children, so they decided to take in foster kids; only one or two at a time though, to make the children feel as though they were part of a family, and not an institution.

Temperance didn't try to be cold and distant, she really was grateful to the people who housed her, but she was smart enough to know that if you allowed yourself to care about somebody, you could only get hurt by that person. "There isn't much to tell about me," Temperance answered, in response to Elisabeth's earlier question, "other than my situation." 'There,' Temperance thought, 'that should set her straight.' It didn't. Elisabeth was as interested in Temperance as Temperance was uninterested in her.

"Fine, I'll ask you some questions. That way, all you have to do is give me an answer." Temperance sighed, but, seeing as how she wanted this discussion to be over, she agreed to do what Elisabeth asked. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" was the first question.

"Yes," Temperance said, "I have one older brother. His name is Russ, and he's 20."

"You see- that wasn't so hard!" Elisabeth enthused, before continuing.

"What's your favorite school subject?"

"Science."

"Do you have a crush on anybody?"

"No." A smile slowly crept up Elisabeth's face when Temperance answered this question.

"What?" Now it was Temperance's turn to ask a question.

"Nothing, it's just that, well, there's a boy next door who's staring at you from his bedroom window."


	2. Chapter 2

"What? Where?" Temperance asked Elisabeth. Elisabeth pointed at a home directly across the cul-de-sac.

"He's right there." She said. Temperance turned and moved her gaze upwards. She briefly saw a boy staring at her, and ducking down again.

"Who is that?" She asked.

"His name is Seeley Booth. We've been friends ever since he ran me down with his bike when I was four. He's 17 now." Elisabeth explained.

"Why is he staring at me?" Temperance questioned.

"Have you taken a look in the mirror lately?"

"Yes, every morning." Temperance didn't understand the question. What did a mirror have to do with a boy staring at her?

"You really have no idea- do you?" Elisabeth cryptically asked.

"What don't I know?"

"That he thinks you're pretty."

"I'm not though." Even at age 16, Temperance had blossomed into quite the beauty. With an hourglass figure, dark wavy hair, and a lovely face, nobody could deny that she was beautiful. Except herself. Her reasoning was that nobody would leave a pretty girl, and her parents had left her, so she must not be attractive.

Elisabeth let out an annoyed sigh, "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response." She said.

"Why doesn't he just come and talk to me?" Temperance asked, "Why stare at somebody and not talk to them."

"He's too nervous."

"Nervous? Why would he be nervous?"

"Do you know anything about guys?"

"I suppose not."

"Any guy chokes up when he sees a girl he really likes. Seeley is usually outgoing, but when he's interested in somebody, he can't talk to them."

"That's ridiculous, the only reason you talk to somebody is if you're interested in them." Again, Elisabeth sighed. It was beginning to appear as though Temperance hadn't even managed the basics of human communication.

"I didn't mean interested like a friend. I meant interested like a boy who wants to date a girl." Elisabeth talked slowly and used simple terms. For somebody so smart, Temperance could be very stupid.

"Well, I'd like to get this resolved," Temperance said boldly, "I'm going to go talk to him."

"Oh this I've got to see." Elisabeth said. So together, the girls walked the short distance to Seeley's home. Temperance smoothed her hair and clothing before stepping forward to ring the doorbell. Seeley apprehensively opened it.

"Hello?" He greeted them when he stepped outside from the home.

"Hi Seeley!" Elisabeth said back.

"Hello Seeley, my name is Temperance. I noticed you watching me before." Temperance hadn't bothered with useless formalities before reaching her point. She wasn't one for pretense.

"No I wasn't." Seeley weakly defended.

"I know you were," Temperance argued, "I saw you. I'm not angry; I just want to know why you were staring at me."

"I wasn't staring, I just noticed a new face, and I, um, well, I wanted to get to know you."

"Just a hint Seeley, if you want to get to know someone, you should try talking to them." At this, Elisabeth had to try her hardest to suppress a laugh; Temperance was giving Seeley hints on how to relate to other people.

"Sorry." He said. Temperance wasn't expecting an apology; she didn't feel it was necessary.

"Oh, it's ok. You don't need to be sorry," she told him, "I just wanted an answer, and I received one." Seeley was good at reading people, and Temperance was like an open book. He could tell that the fastest way to get to her was to be just as blunt as she was.

"So, do you want to hang out sometime, so we can get to know each other a little more?" Temperance didn't realize she was getting hit on, even with Elisabeth giggling from the sidelines.

"Sure." Temperance answered, "We can hang out sometime."


	3. Chapter 3

"Oooook." Elisabeth dragged the word out, to catch Temperance's attention. It worked; Temperance turned her head from Seeley to Elisabeth.

"What?" Temperance snapped impatiently, she liked this boy; he was attractive, and not nearly as shy as Elisabeth had put on. She wanted to continue talking to him.

"I think it's time for dinner. We'll see you later Seeley." Elisabeth said, in an effort to end the conversation between her foster sister and her friend.

"Oh, um, ok." Seeley stumbled over his words, "I guess I'll call you sometime then." He said, directing his words at Temperance.

"Sounds good." Temperance said back to him, before following Elisabeth home. Once both girls were safely inside, Elisabeth broke out into an uncontrollable fit of giggles. Temperance simply stared at her. 'What's so funny?' She thought.

Eventually, Elisabeth got herself under control and said to Temperance, "Do you even know what just happened?" She asked.

"Yes," Temperance answered, "Seeley and me agreed to make plans to find out more about each other." Again, Elisabeth began laughing. This time, Temperance voiced her question. "What's so funny?"

"He was asking you out!" Elisabeth exclaimed, "And you didn't even know!"

"He wasn't asking me out." Temperance insisted, "He just wants to be friends." Elisabeth took a deep breath, determined to remain composed. She gently laid a hand on Temperance's shoulder in a patronizing manner.

"Ah Temperance," She drawled, "You have so much to learn." Temperance scowled in confusion, and proceeded to go upstairs and read. The next day, Seeley called, asking if Temperance would like to see a movie with him. She accepted. Though Elisabeth insisted that it was a date, Temperance argued that it was only a casual thing, and she wasn't interested in dating him.

That Friday, after school, Seeley and Temperance walked to the movie theater together. Choosing to see a unisex drama, Seeley purchased the tickets, despite Temperance's insistence that she could, 'Pay for herself.' For the first 30 minutes of the movie, they sat silently, enjoying the unfolding plot, but as it began to get sluggish during the middle, Seeley got bored, and decided to see how far Temperance would let him go.

He lightly draped his arm over her shoulders, and she tensed, but didn't try to make him move. Because he noticed her slight discomfort at this small gesture, he decided not to take it any further. That day. When the movie was finished, Seeley walked Temperance home, and invited her out again next weekend. "I had a great time," She said, "But I need to know what this is. You see, Elisabeth insists that you're interested in dating me, and, well, I must admit that I'm growing unsure of my earlier belief that you just wanted to be friends." Seeley grew uncomfortable, should he admit what he really wanted, or should he see where she wanted things to go? He finally remembered his earlier decision to be as blunt and open as she was.

"It was a date. At least, that's what I meant it to be." He explained. Temperance's gaze drifted downward, though she was glad he had been honest with her, she hadn't been expecting it. After careful consideration, she met his eyes again.

"So are you asking me to go on another date with you next weekend?" She questioned.

"Yes." He admitted, "I suppose I am."

"In that case," She said, "I accept." Seeley was stunned, in no way had he expected it to be this easy.

"Really?" he asked, his tone portraying his emotions.

"Yes, really. I'm not sure it's the right decision, but as long as you don't expect too much, I'll give you a chance. I probably won't be here long though." Seeley had been slightly disheartened by her explanation, but his confidence prevented him from backing down.

"Alright then. No expectations." He agreed.

"Good. No expectations."


	4. Chapter 4

One month. That's all the time that it took for Temperance to be told she was being sent to a new foster home. Susan and Thomas had unexpectedly become pregnant- with twins. Sadly deciding that they would no longer have the space, or energy, to house a foster child, they contacted a worker from the system and explained the situation. Pamela Richards, the foster care worker assigned to Temperance's placement, informed them that it would take about one week for another family to be found. Elisabeth was headed towards her room when she noticed Temperance laying on her own bed, crying. "Temperance? What's wrong?" Elisabeth asked, truly concerned. Temperance was one of the strongest people she knew, and it was a bit unnerving to see her reveal her true emotions.

Sniffling, Temperance answered, "I'm going to miss him. I feel so stupid, crying over a boy. We haven't even been dating that long. I knew this would happen, I just…I just didn't expect it to be so soon. Maybe it's better this way though. Imagine if I'd have been here six months, I'd be so much more attached to him, it'd be even harder to leave." Seeley's relationship with Temperance had been going remarkably well. If one knew both teens, they wouldn't think to involve the two with each other, Seeley being a popular jock, and Temperance being a reserved foster child, but somehow, they had made things work. Seeley would take her to movies, or out to restaurants, sometimes they would simply watch a movie at his home, and she felt comfortable with him. When he held her, she felt safer than she had in over a year, and now she knew she would never get that feeling again.

"Aw, Tempe. I'm so sorry; I know you two are close. You'll find someone else though, I'm sure of it." Elisabeth smiled, trying, as always, to find the silver lining.

"That's just the thing, though. I'm not sure if I want anybody else. He's just one guy, but…but, ugh, I don't know, there's just something I feel towards him that…that I can't explain. That's dumb right? It's dumb." Temperance lamented.

"No, no, it's not dumb. He's your boyfriend, you care about him. It's only normal that you'd be sad to leave him. It's like you're breaking up, but it wasn't your choice- or his." Elisabeth tried to be comforting, but Temperance was beyond being soothed. One more person she allowed herself to care about, one more person lost. "You should go on one last date with him. Have you let him know you're leaving?" Elisabeth pressed on.

"I haven't told him yet." Temperance admitted.

"What?! You're leaving in two days! Temperance, you have to tell him!"

"I know! I just don't know what to say."  
"Go talk to him. The right words will come." Elisabeth was nervous for Temperance, but if Elisabeth wasn't confident for her, nobody would be.

"What should I do? Should I just tell him, and then leave? I want him to remember me. It's silly, and childish, but I do. I want him to remember the time we spent together. I feel like such a moron, getting so emotional over one, one…boyfriend. Can I call him that? Is he my boyfriend?" Temperance babbled on, unsure of what to say, even to herself.

For a lack of anything else to say, Elisabeth assured her, "He'll remember you Temperance, and yes, he most certainly is your boyfriend. Just go. When you see him, you'll know what to do."

"You're right; I just need to see him. Yeah, I'm going." Temperance took a deep breath, dried her tear-stained cheeks, and walked across the cul-de-sac. Elisabeth watched from her bedroom window, praying that Temperance would make the right decisions, and say the right things.

That night, Elisabeth slept on the floor in Temperance's room. The two had grown close, and wanted to spend as much time as possible together before Temperance was forced to leave. "So, what happened with Seeley?" Elisabeth asked nonchalantly, not wanting to add to the stress of the situation.

"I…I figured out what to do." Temperance apprehensively answered.

"I knew you would!" Elisabeth enthused, "What did you do?"

A brief silence filled the room before Temperance bluntly said, "I slept with him." Elisabeth shot up from her position lying down on the floor and yelled, "You did WHAT?"

"We were just sitting there, watching a movie, like a lot of other nights. I told him I was leaving, and he said he wanted to spend time with me, so we sat down on the couch and started the movie. About half way through, he kissed me. It was supposed to be quick, a spur of the moment peck, but I guess we both wanted more, and…well, you know where it went from there." Temperance explained.

"I can't believe you! You've been dating him less than two months! What did you think would come of this?! You think leaving is going to be any easier now?" Elisabeth shot.

"I don't need you to judge me! You weren't there; you weren't feeling how I felt! You can't possibly understand- you've never needed anybody as much as I needed him, right in that moment!" Temperance burst out, as she began to cry.

"Temperance-" Elisabeth began.

"I think you've said everything you need to say. Why don't you just go sleep in your own room tonight?"

"Alright then, if that's what you really want."

"Yeah." Temperance said, trying hard not to portray her deep sadness at fighting with Elisabeth.

"Fine. Goodnight, Temperance. I'm sorry; I shouldn't have said what I did. You're probably right, I don't really understand." Elisabeth apologized, and walked out.

The next day, Temperance was picked up by Pamela. "Elisabeth, can we pretend last night didn't happen? I don't want to leave like this." Temperance asked.

"Well, I doubt you'll ever forget last night, but as far as the fight goes, long forgotten." Elisabeth agreed, with a bit of sarcasm. Temperance laughed, acknowledging the truth of her friend's statement.

Seeley had come by to send her off, and as he held her in a gentle hug he whispered in her ear, "I'll never forget you Temperance. I love you."

"You do?" She questioned in a tear-choked whisper.

He pulled away from her, looked into her glossy eyes and said with more sincerity than Temperance thought possible, "I do. I know I always will. Take care of yourself Temperance. I'm going to miss you so much."

She looked back at him with the same intensity and said, "I love you too, Seeley. I don't want to leave. I didn't want to love you, but I do, which makes this so much harder."

"I'm sorry." Was all he could think to say.

"Don't be. I never thought I'd be happy again after my parents…left, but…well, I was, because of you." She admitted.

"We'll see each other again someday. I'll find you, somehow." He promised.

"I hope you will. Goodbye, Seeley."

"Goodbye."

"Temperance! Come on, time to go!" Pamela hollered. Temperance turned from Seeley, and got into the car. As it pulled away, she waved at him from the back window, and he waved back. Both had tears in their eyes.

Temperance had been at her new foster home for two months. Brooklyn, New York was not the most desirable place for a family to live, and for the life of her, she couldn't understand why Derek and Teresa decided to care for foster children- if you could even call what they did 'caring.' Temperance paced outside one of the two bathrooms in the home that day, counting down every second of three minutes. When the last second ticked by, she picked up the small white stick sitting on the edge of the sink, and anxiously looked down- and immediately saw one pink plus sign. "Damnit." Was the only word she uttered.


	5. Chapter 5

Temperance apprehensively stepped into the living room of her foster home, where Teresa was sitting, and watching television. "Teresa," Temperance began, "I need to tell you something. Teresa turned her head and gave Temperance a look that clearly stated, "What? Hurry up, my show's on." Nervously, she pressed on. "At my last foster home, I had a boyfriend. Just before I left, I had sex with him." Even in a situation such as this, Temperance wasn't one for delicacy.

"Oh god." Teresa said, recognition dawning on her face.

"I took a test today. I'm so sorry, Teresa. I'm pregnant." Temperance looked down, ashamed.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Teresa demanded. She had never been a kind foster mother, and she wasn't about to start now. To her, Temperance was just another dumb teenage girl that made a stupid mistake. Temperance didn't know what to say, but Teresa continued. "You can't stay here. I've got no room and no money for a baby. You wanna go get it taken care of, I'll take you, but that's it." She was not an eloquent speaker, and her words were clouded by her heavy Brooklyn accent, but Temperance understood completely what she was saying.

"I'm not getting an abortion." Temperance stated. She loved the father of her child, and even though she was in no situation to become a mother, she couldn't make herself kill her baby. She tried to think logically, 'It's not a baby yet Temperance.' She told herself, but it didn't work. Her heart betrayed her reason; she cursed her emotions.

"Then you gotta find somewhere else ta go." Teresa told her.

"I don't have anywhere else to go!" Temperance exclaimed.

"Like I said, I'll take you to the clinic, but cho can't stay here with no baby."

Temperance sighed, considered her options and said, "Can I have some time to think? Please." Her eyes started to water.

"You got one week. This better be figured out by then."

"I understand." Temperance said in a choked voice, before going back upstairs. By the grace of God, the bedroom she shared with two other foster siblings was vacant, so she grabbed the phone off of the dresser, and dialed a familiar number.

"Pamela here." Answered Temperance's foster care worker.

"Pamela? It's Temperance, I…I need a favor." She said shakily.

"What happened? You okay darlin'?" Pamela asked, her deep southern voice filled with concern.

"Do you remember the last home I was at? The Jorgensens?"

"Sure, I remember them. The ma got pregnant, so you had to leave." Pamela recalled.

"Yeah. Well, I met this boy there. You might've seen him. He said goodbye to me when you came to pick me up." Temperance reminded her.

"Oh! That boy! 'Course I know who you're talkin' about. He held onto you for five minutes!" Temperance whimpered, remembering with sadness the day she left Seeley.

"The night before, we had slept together," she used more polite language with Pamela, a woman whom she liked and respected, "and just today I found out that I'm pregnant."

Before she could continue, Pamela burst out, "You're what?! Temperance Brennan I can't believe you! When I took your case they said you were a smart girl, a good girl- you wouldn't cause me any problems! Well what are you callin' me for?! I can't do anything for you!"

"Pam, you've always helped me before. I'm so, so sorry. I obviously never meant for this to happen. I though we were safe…"

"Well, I guess not!"

"I'm sorry! Please, you need to help me. My foster mother won't let me stay here unless I get an abortion, and I just can't! Pam, please!" Temperance begged.

"Sweetie," Pam said, calming down, "you know I wanna help you, but my hands are tied. I can't just take you outta the foster home. There are rules, ya know."

"You can take me out! If I refuse to get an abortion, I'm going to get kicked out anyway!"

"If one of your foster parents contacts me, and tells me they want you out, then I can take you out, but until then, there really is nothing I can do."

"Isn't there any other way to get out of the system? What if I just ran away? What would happen to me then?"

"Oh, Temperance, they'd find you, and you wouldn't run away in the first place, because you know it's a stupid idea. You made one mistake, but I still think you're a smart girl."

"You see? You believe in me! You care about me, and nobody else does! There has to be something you can do!"

"Let me put this as clearly as I can. There are only four reasons a child can be removed from a foster home; the foster parents request it, the home is proven to be abusive, the child's biological parents express an interest in getting their child back, or the child is adopted. There's no wiggle room, those are the rules, and I can't break them." Pamela explained.

"Pam, I have nowhere to go, and I'm not killing this baby. Sooner rather than later, my foster mother will call you and tell you to take me away. Who's going to take in a pregnant 16-year-old girl? Can you think of even one family that would?"

"You want me to be honest?" Pam asked.

"Yes."

"Not one. It's hard enough to place a teenager now, but a pregnant one, that's pretty much impossible. You've got one option, and I know you don't like it, but you're going to have to live with it."

"No! I refuse to accept that! I don't have a lot of choices left to make for myself, but I've got this one, and I'm choosing not to kill my child! Nobody can make me!" Temperance said firmly.

"Temperance…" Pam's voice faded, she had nothing left to say.

"Pam, could I maybe…could I stay with you?" Temperance unsurely asked.

"What?! You think I've got the money to drag you to doctor's appointments, or the time, for that matter? I have no space, and no way to buy baby stuff! It wouldn't work! I wanna help you, but it just wouldn't work!"

"I'll get a part time job, buy everything at Goodwill, I won't even need that much. I'll pay for everything, and go to a free clinic- there's got to be one of those by you! Please, Pam, it'll work, I'll make it work! You'll hardly know I'm there!" Temperance promised.

"I'll know you're there when your baby wakes up wailing at three in the morning."

"I'll take care of the baby on my own! I'll wake up with it, feed it, change it, I'll go to a school with a day care in it, I know there are some out there! It'll be entirely my responsibility, your home will just be a place I can sleep at night and shower in. Pam, please."

There was silence on Pam's end of the line until she sighed and said, "Alright."

"What?" Temperance was shocked; could this actually work out?

"I said I'll do it, but you better stay true to everything you just said, you hear? All of it."

"I will! I will. Thank you so, so, so much! I'll repay you, somehow! When I'm older I'll…I'll…"

Pam cut Temperance off, "Yeah, yeah. We'll worry about that later. Just be ready by ten AM tomorrow, I'm gonna pick you up and drive you to my place in Chicago. I've got two bedrooms, you and the baby are gonna have to share." Originally from Texas, Pamela had moved to Chicago to marry a man whom she later divorced, yet Pam liked it there, so she stayed. Temperance's true family was from Illinois, so when she was put into the system, she was given a representative from that state, and she formed such a connection with Pamela, that they kept in contact as Temperance moved from place to place, and Pam tried to make sure that Temperance went to suitable houses, though that wasn't always possible, as demonstrated by her current foster family. Temperance knew that her foster mother would be so happy to unload her on somebody else, that she and Pam would only have to fill out the paperwork, and Temperance would be under Pam's custody.

"That's fine, that's great! I'll be ready! Thank you, Pam, thank you so much!" Temperance was relieved beyond belief- she could have her baby! Her life might end up okay after all…only time would tell.


	6. Chapter 6

"Can I help you?" An overweight secretary asked a confused Temperance.

"I need to register." Was the simple answer she gave.

"This is a school for…troubled teenagers. I don't see anything wrong with you." The secretary stated bluntly.

"I'm a pregnant foster child. Is that troubled enough for you?" Temperance asked testily. She was angry that the only option for her remaining schooling was New Haven High School, a facility that was for, as the secretary said, troubled teenagers.

"Here's some forms." The secretary said, handing over a stack of papers. "You'll need to fill those out, get them signed by your guardian, and bring them back. If everything goes through, you can select your courses, we'll make up a schedule for you, and you can start."

Temperance nodded. "Thanks," she replied, "I'll do that." She took the forms back to Pamela's apartment, spent two hours completing them, and upon Pam's arrival home, asked her to sign them.

"What's all this?" Pamela asked, staring at the registration papers she was holding.

"Some forms I needed to fill out so I can go to New Haven. You just have to sign them; I'll take care of the rest." Temperance explained.

Pamela signed them and returned them to Temperance before saying, "You know, I understand you're gonna want some help from me. Maybe I overreacted when you first asked if you could stay here. Bein' a mom isn't easy, and bein' 16 when you become one doesn't make it any easier. Just know that I'm here if you need me, okay?" Temperance smiled, it felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

"Thank you, Pam." Was all she could think of to say. Pamela smiled back and nodded, before going into the kitchen to make dinner. Despite Temperance's assurances that she could cook for herself, Pam insisted on cooking dinner each night, she said that it was actually nice to have somebody else to cook for, and Temperance didn't put up an argument.

She had been living with Pam for two weeks now, and had recently been hired as a drive through worker at McDonalds. Despite putting together a resume, speaking eloquently during her interview, and proving herself to be an intelligent person, the manager told her the only position she could hold was at the drive through. Temperance had made the mistake of informing the manager of her condition before she was officially hired. He told her that the customers would get the "wrong message" if they saw a pregnant teenager working at the counter. If she worked at the drive through, nobody would see her growing belly, and therefore would not be offended in any way. Temperance had been upset; she knew she was being discriminated against, but she needed a job, so she now found herself working from three PM to seven PM Monday through Friday, and twelve PM to eight PM Saturday. She had purposely asked for those hours knowing that she would be at school until at least two every afternoon, and would need time to do her homework. Temperance thought that perhaps the only benefit of her job was the option to select your hours of availability.

The next day, Temperance returned to New Haven, presented the registration forms to the same secretary she had dealt with the day before, and waited in an uncomfortable plastic chair in the office while the forms were processed.

"Well, it looks like everything is in order. Your academic background is a little... unclear, but I suppose that comes with the territory of your situation." The secretary, whom Temperance now knew to be named Judy, explained. Temperance nodded, despite her irritation at hearing being a foster child described as a "situation." "Here are the class selection forms. You can fill them out right here. Just give them to me when you're done, we'll make you up a schedule, and you can start school here on Monday." Judy told her.

"Thanks." Temperance said, and turned her attention to the forms. She registered for all of the necessary classes; math, science, social studies, and English, and chose as electives one parenting class (she figured it would be useful), economics (she would need to learn how to manage her meager funds), and a class on health during pregnancy (for obvious reasons.) New Haven taught the basic graduation necessities, and had electives that would prove useful for new parents, or that would help teenagers struggling with other issues. They also had a daycare, which had been the main reason for Temperance's decision to attend. Childcare was free for students. She gave the class forms to Judy, who ran the selections through a computer program, and printed a schedule which she then gave to Temperance.

"Good luck, if you're as smart as your grades from those other schools show, you should do just fine here." Judy informed her.

"Thank you." Temperance said, deciding to take the comment as a compliment.

"No problem." Judy said, and Temperance walked out.

The next seven months were anything but easy. Juggling a part time job and high school is quite the feat for any teenage girl, never mind a pregnant one. Goodwill and garage sales were the main sources for clothes, toys, and furniture. The only brand new things Temperance bought were bottles, pacifiers, and diapers. The bedroom she had at Pamela's apartment was too small to house a crib, so only a basinet was bought. Temperance hoped that a different arrangement would be made by the time the baby outgrew it. Part of the money she earned at McDonalds went to the purchase of maternity clothes, which were also bought second hand. She went to a free clinic for regular checkups, and selected a hospital in which to deliver her child. Pamela was remarkably supportive through the entire process, picking up food that Temperance was craving during weekly shopping trips, and driving her to the clinic when she became too tired to walk the required six blocks.

Originally, the idea of being a mother terrified Temperance, but now that everything needed for the baby had been purchased, she had a bit of money to support herself and the child, and she knew that the child would be taken care of while she finished school, everything seemed to be okay. Everyday, she missed Seeley, and wished that he could know she was carrying his child, but she hadn't the faintest idea of how to contact him. While they had been dating, they lived so close that calling each other was never necessary, so she couldn't reach him that way, and she didn't know his address, so sending a letter was impossible. All she had was the intense hope that someday, somehow, they would find each other again.

It was now early July, and Temperance had just had her 17th birthday. She had never imagined that at age 17 she would nine months pregnant and living in a two bedroom apartment with her foster care worker. School had been out for nearly a month now, and Temperance had been on maternity leave for about two weeks. On this particular day, she was sitting on the living room couch, flipping mindlessly through daytime television, when her stomach suddenly cramped, and she felt warm liquid running down her leg. It was clear. 'Oh God.' She thought.


	7. Chapter 7

"Just one more push Temperance! Come on, that's it!"

Temperance screamed, "The damn baby can just stay up there!"

The patient nurse encouraged, "I know it's hard, honey, just one more though. You can do it!" A high pitched screech of pain escaped from Temperance followed by the powerful wails of a newborn.

"It's a girl!" The doctor announced, before placing the newly delivered baby upon Temperance's chest. Temperance cried, grasped her baby, but before she could say anything, the child was taken from her to be cleaned and weighed.

"Six pounds, eleven ounces." Despite coming from a teenage mother, the baby was healthy, and after being wrapped in a pink blanket and having a pink and white striped cap placed on her head, she was returned to Temperance's waiting arms. Not two minutes after mother and daughter had begun getting acquainted was a loud knock heard coming from the door of the hospital room.

"Somebody! Please, let me in! Please!" Came the voice of a young male. Only one nurse remained in the room; she walked over to the door, and opened it slightly.

"Can I help you, sir? This is a delivery room; there is a mother and child trying to rest in here."

"I know, I think…I think that may be my baby." Seeley Booth explained.

"You think?" The nurse asked, "How is it that you don't know?"

"I just…I know, okay? Please, just let me in. If I'm wrong, I'll leave, I swear."

"I can't just let you into this room; you have to be immediate family." Temperance heard faint snippets of the conversation from her place on the bed, and she called to the nurse, "It's fine, he can come in." She still wasn't entirely sure who was outside and why they wanted to be inside the room, but whatever the conflict was, she wanted it resolved so she could get some sleep. She should have been cautious about whom she let in to her delivery room, but after twelve hours of labor, she was far from thinking clearly.

"Miss, it's against hospital policy, I-"

Temperance sighed and said, "Please, this is going to be easier for both of us if you just let him in." Deciding that the young patient was right, the nurse opened the door wide enough for Seeley to enter, and then proceeded to go guard the door, to prevent anybody from seeing a random man in a delivery room. It never once crossed her mind that she was being paranoid.

"Temperance?" Seeley stated, wide-eyed.

"Seeley! It is you! I heard, but I didn't want to think, and now you're…you're…" Temperance stumbled over her words, failing miserably at communicating that even though she had thought she recognized the voice outside her door, she didn't allow herself to believe it was him.

"Is it…she? He? Mine?" Seeley in return did not provide a clear response. Temperance's eyes filled with tears, and she could do nothing but nod. Seeley was next to the bed in two seconds, looking down at the mother of his child, and said child.

"I'm sorry," Temperance said, "I…I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how to contact you, and…and, I just…I-"

"Shhh…Temperance, it's okay. I understand, alright? It's okay. Everything's going to be fine now; I'm here now, Temperance." He tried to reassure her as his mind was reeling. He was a father? Temperance was a mother? What would he do? What should he say? How did he feel?

"Seeley, what are you doing here?" Temperance finally asked, still holding the baby tightly to her chest.

"Oh, right, that, yeah. My grandfather, he's getting surgery, he lives near here so, we came down to see him and…I just got bored, so I started walking around, somehow got to the maternity floor, and I heard your name. I waited until it seemed like things had quieted down, and, well, you know what happened from there." Seeley hastily recalled. Temperance smiled, delighted at seeing him again, but unsure of what to say to him. Eventually she settled on, "It's a girl."

A wide grin settled itself upon Seeley's face and he said, "I can't believe I have a daughter."

Calmed by Seeley's optimism and positive attitude, Temperance answered, "I know. I'm a mom; it's the strangest feeling in the world. When I first found out I was pregnant, I thought I'd have to give her up, or have an abortion…I just never thought I'd get to see her, now she's here and…and, I'm excited and terrified and…well, mostly terrified I guess."

"Don't be. We'll figure this out together, okay? There's nothing to be worried about." Seeley told her, his steady voice defying the unrest he felt inside. Of course there was something to be worried about! There was a lot to be worried about! Where would they live? How would they make money? How could they find the time to go to college and raise a child?

As if she was reading his mind, Temperance responded, "Don't lie to me Seeley. There's so much to figure out- you have to be nervous too."

"You're right." Seeley said, because she was, and because there was nothing else he could say.

"Ma'am! You can't go in there!" Temperance and Seeley heard the 'guard nurse' yell one second before a middle-aged woman bounded into the room

"Seeley James Booth! Where the hell have you been?" She shouted.

"Mom, calm down, it's alright. Why don't we go into the hall and talk?" Seeley soothed.

"Calm down? Calm down?! I've been looking all over this hospital for you for over an hour!"

"I can explain everything, mom. Let's just go talk, okay? Please." Seeley pleaded. Temperance watched confusedly as Seeley fought with his mother. She had never met Mrs. Booth, and while she could understand the older woman's anger, she wished that she would display it elsewhere. The baby was sleeping, and Temperance did not want her new daughter to wake. Mrs. Booth sighed and followed her son out into the hallway.

"So, you want to explain why you were with that girl and her baby?" His mother asked.

"'That girl's' name is Temperance. She was a foster child of the Jorgensen's about a year ago. We dated for a couple of months, and then she had to leave when Susan got pregnant. The night before she left, she came over when you and dad were out for the night. It's really embarrassing to have to tell you this, but…we had sex, and Temperance apparently got pregnant."

"Seeley, are you trying to say…to say that…that child is yours?"

"Yes, mom." He knew that was all he needed to say for an answer.

"How did you not know before? Why didn't she tell you?" His mother's eyes were filling with tears, and Seeley felt horrible. He was very close to his mother- the only reason she had gotten so angry because she couldn't find him was that she had been worried- and it killed him to make her cry.

"She wanted to tell me, but she couldn't reach me. She didn't have our phone number, or address…"

"So how'd you know she was at this hospital, in labor no less?" His mother was a patient, and kind woman, but despite that, she had to use all of her restraint to keep from lashing out at her son.

"I just started wandering around, I passed by her room, and I heard somebody say Temperance; they were telling her to push. I don't know why, but I was sure it was her, so I waited. I knocked on the door when things calmed down, she told the nurse to let me in, and we've just been talking since then."

"Oh, Seeley, do you have any idea how serious this is? You're a father; you have a responsibility toward your child, and that child's mother. How do you think you're going to manage? You're eighteen! You were going to go to college- you had such a bright future! That's ruined now!"

"No, mom, it isn't. Now I get to share that future with Temperance and our child. It'll be hard, I'm not saying it won't be, but I love her, mom, I really do, and somehow we'll figure things out."

"Somehow, huh? You'll figure things out, somehow? Babies are expensive Seeley- clothes, diapers, food. You're going to need a job, and I'm not letting you abandon your scholarship, so you'll have to figure out some way to get your schoolwork done too. There are only twenty-four hours in a day; soon you're going to see how few that is."

"Mom, I'll get a job, and I'll keep up with school, but please, just give me some support. You don't have to help with anything, but just a little confidence would be nice."

"I've always believed in you Seeley. If you think you can manage everything, and if you really love this girl, I'll be the last person to stand in your way."

"Thanks, mom, and I do love her. I'm not sure of a whole lot right now, but at least I'm sure of that."

"Good, then you go tell her that, she needs to hear it more than I do."

"I will, thanks, and could you…um, could you maybe tell dad for me?" Seeley asked hopefully.

"I'll tell him, alright, but you're going to have to talk to him about it eventually."

"I know, I will." Mrs. Booth started to turn away but as she did Seeley called to her, "Mom?" She turned around. "Thank you, for everything." He said.

"You're welcome, Seeley. Just stay true to what you said to me."

"I will." He said, and nodded slightly. His mother gave him a faint smile, nodded back, and continued to walk away. Seeley re-entered the room, to find that Temperance's baby, no, their baby, had been taken away to be measured and put in the nursery.

"What did she say?" Temperance immediately asked.

Seeley took a seat and said, "She was upset, confused, but we talked it out. She wants me to know how hard it's going to be to raise a baby and go to college at the same time, but she told me so long as I love you, and I work hard, she's not going to try and keep us apart." Seeley took a deep breath, and looked at Temperance, whose eyes were glossy with unshed, but happy, tears.

"So you still love me? After everything, you still do?" She asked, disbelievingly.

"Of course I do. I never stopped loving you, Temperance. Having a baby with you changes a lot, but not the way I feel about you."

"I'm so relieved." Temperance said, giving him a smile. "I thought that you would leave me."

Seeley took her hands, locked eyes with her and said seriously, "I will never leave you. Temperance, understand? Never." Instead of being upset at her lack of confidence in his commitment to her, he knew that he needed to assure her he wouldn't abandon her as so many others had before him.

"Thank you, Seeley. I know you won't." She confirmed.

"Temperance! Oh, dear, I'm so sorry I couldn't get here sooner! I was at work, and only now did I get called!" Pamela rushed in talking a mile a minute.

"Pam! It's okay, I called an ambulance, I got here just fine. It's a girl! They're measuring her and everything right now." She explained at rapid-fire speed.

Pam rushed over, hugged Temperance, and after congratulating her, she asked in a whisper, "Is this the father? I thought you hadn't talked to him since you left him."

"Oh! Yes, this is Seeley!" Temperance introduced him enthusiastically. Seeley had patiently been waiting for introductions to be made, so upon hearing his name he smiled and offered his hand. Pamela took it, sat in another seat next to the bed and listened with interest as the day's happenings were re-told. When the exciting tale was over, she went to the cafeteria to get food for everyone, leaving the new parents alone once again.

"What should we name her?" Temperance finally had the opportunity to ask.

"I don't know. Did you have anything in mind?"

"Elisabeth. Elisabeth Christine." She told him, knowing that he would at least recognize the first name as Temperance's former foster sister's.

"Sounds good to me." Seeley agreed, happy to accept the name Temperance had chosen for their daughter.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it sounds nice. It's a good name."

"You didn't have any ideas?"

"I didn't know I was going to need any."

Temperance laughed. "Oh, sorry, forgot." Getting tired, Seeley decided to climb onto the bed with Temperance. "So, we're really going to do this?" She asked.

Knowing exactly what she meant without further explanation, Seeley answered, "Yeah, we are."

"Where are we going to live?" She asked.

"Don't know."

"What are we going to do for money?"

"Don't know that either."

"But we're still going to make this work out." She stated unsurely.

"Yep." Was his simple reply, and for now, it was enough. For now, Temperance Brennan was happy to simply have the love of her life, the father of her child, laying next to her on a hospital bed, promising her a future- a happy one, with him.


End file.
